


What's in a name?

by Vae



Category: Firefly RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-26
Updated: 2006-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-20 16:56:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/587640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vae/pseuds/Vae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's always coffee. No matter what you're being called.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's in a name?

Five rings...six rings...click. "Hi, this is Nathan, I'm not talking to you right now. Leave a message and I might later."

BEEP.

"Uh, hi, Nathan. It's, um, Sean. I... call me, 'kay?" Sean hit the key to disconnect the call, and dropped the phone back into his pocket. It was pretty typical, he figured. First time he'd ever called Nathan's cell, and he wasn't answering. Good thing he didn't take Summer's approach to that.

He leaned back against the doorframe for a moment, disbelieving grin still spread across his face, and then pushed away, weaving his way through the crowded streets in search of coffee. People got together, people got jobs, people didn't answer their cell phones, and still there was coffee. It was a constant in his world. 

Two blocks later, his pocket began to vibrate, and he reached in to retrieve his phone. He studied the display for a moment, then flipped it open and lifted it to his ear. "Nathan?"

"Seanie!" the earpiece carolled cheerfully. "So, you finally called me. Took you long enough. I was beginning to think you'd lost my number." 

He couldn't tell if Nate was teasing or sulking. The tone of his voice sounded like teasing, but it was hard to tell over the crackling connection. "Yeah, well, I... you didn't call me eith - wait. What did you call me?"

"Uh... Sean?" Definite teasing now.

"No, you didn't, Nathan. What did you call me?"

There was a pause. "... Seanie?"

Sean stopped walking, much to the annoyance of the woman behind him who passed him swiftly with a disapproving click of her tongue. " _Never_ call me that again."

"Aww, c'mon, Sean. You're telling me that Amanda can get away with it and I can't?"

"Na _than_. Amanda is a producer. She offers me work and pays me. So, yeah, she can get away with it. You, on the other hand..." Sean avoided another glaring pedestrian and began walking again, heading towards the park. Obviously, coffee was not going to be happening any time soon.

"I think I'm offended. No wonder you didn't call me if that's what it takes." 

"No! No, I didn't...oh, shit. Nathan, I didn't mean that. I just -"

"Hey, relax, Sean! I'm kidding you. Teasing. You remember teasing, right?"

Sean's lips curved in a reluctant smile. "Yes, I remember teasing. And you. And you teasing."

"That's better. You're smiling now. I can tell. I can hear it."

"You can? Over this line?"

"Yep. So, what do I call you? If Seanie's off the list... what's left?"

"Isn't my name good enough?" Sean grinned. He couldn't help it. Nathan just had that kind of effect on him. 

"Nope, don't think so. Everybody gets to use that. How about sugar?" 

"No."

"Pumpkin?"

"No."

"My little plum pudding?"

"No! Nothing food related!" Sean was very glad Nate couldn't see the blush spreading across his face.

"So...honey's out too, then?"

"Yes! Nate, I called you for a reason."

"Not just to hear my dulcet tones, sweetheart?"

"Stop that! I wanted you to be first to know. I've got a job. Ow!" Sean held the phone away from his ear, wincing at the whooping noises coming from the earpiece. When all seemed quiet again, he gingerly brought it back. "You still there?"

"Why? D'you go someplace?"

"Only far enough not to get deafened."

"What? I'm pleased for you. See, I told you not to give up. Uh...wait. Baby, tell me this isn't one of those 'I start at nine on Monday morning' type jobs?"

Sean stopped by the park entrance, dodging the inline skaters to get to the seats by the fountain. "No, it's not. And 'baby' is off the list too."

"Aww..."

"My goodness, Nathan, think about it. How would you feel if I started calling you darling or sweetheart or... or... or precious?"

"Precious?" There was a pause. "Well, I think I'd kinda like that. Darling's good, too. Though I still think you're more of a sweetheart than I am. Are you raising your eyebrow at me?"

Sean automatically lifted his free hand to his face. His right eyebrow was half an inch higher than the left one. "Are you spying on me? You're still in L.A., right?"

"More's the pity. I just know you. Been watching you a while, Sean. When I could."

"You're lounging, aren't you? Where are you?"

"See? You know me, too, sweetheart. I'm at home. In the living room. On the couch." Sean swore he could hear the smug grin through his phone. "Lounging. Wish you were here?"

"Yes!" Sean firmly suppressed the mental image of Nate as he'd seen him last weekend, sprawled over his couch, one foot hooked over the armrest, one hand reaching out towards him.

"Mmm. Me too. So, job?"

"Job, yeah." Sean leaned forwards, propping his elbows on his knees and watching the line at the coffee booth get shorter. "It's a TV movie, it's for A&E network, and Linda said they asked for me specifically."

"TV movie, Sean? Tell me it's not going to be as bad as Dive."

"How do you know about Dive?"

"Looked you up."

"Oh, my God. Tell me you haven't seen it. Oh, fuck, no. Nate, stop it. I can hear you smirking."

"Pale blue boxers, Sean?"

Sean refused to be audibly embarrassed. "Well, at least it's not sitcom. How long did you do Two Guys?"

"Um, Sean... Party of Five?"

Sean surrendered. "Okay. You win. That was worse than sitcom. Still, yes, it's a TV movie. And I don't know if it's going to be as bad as Dive, but it's going to be different, I know that much. Not seen the script yet."

"Did you agree yet?"

"I told Linda to find out some more, but I don't see why not. She already told me the character stuff."

"So? Spill!"

"Patience, precious." Sean pushed up from his seat and skirted the fountain to join the line. Coffee was definitely going to be necessary. "No, it's no good, I can't call you that. You'll just have to be satisfied with Nate."

"Rather be satisfied with Sean..."

"Well, you can't. That's my name. Uh... yeah. Americano. Large. No cream. Thanks." He dug into his pocket for change, collected the far-too-quickly-delivered-to-be-decent coffee and went to perch on the edge of the fountain.

"What? Oh, you and the coffee... you're stalling, cupcake."

"Stop with the food references already. Please." Sean sipped the coffee and grimaced. Definitely not decent.

"Stalling..." Nate reminded him.

"Right. Well." He took a bigger mouthful. Maybe cream wouldn't have been a bad idea. Just this once. "Okay. He's kind of a satellite to one of the main characters. Partner, really."

"Partner as in business partner?"

"Um...more as in life partner."

"As in husband?"

"Um...no." More coffee. Even bad coffee counted as coffee, right? "That's kind of part of what it's about..."

"Sean. Seanie, Seanie, Seanie. Sean. Tell me, please God tell me that you're not considering accepting a role that means you're playing gay."

"Why?"

"Two words, my little idiot. Career suicide."

Sean closed his eyes and took a deep breath and another mouthful of coffee. "Yes, because my career's going so well otherwise, isn't it? Nate, I need the money. That's what it comes down to, eventually. I need the money. Okay, it's a TV movie. Okay, it's playing gay. But they asked for me and they're paying me."

There was a short silence. "I'm not going to be able to change your mind on this one, am I?"

"Not unless you turned into a producer without telling me and you've got an alternate job for me in June, no."

"June? You're filming that soon? Where?"

"Nova Scotia."

"And you're even gonna see the wrong side of Canada. Sean - look, where are you?"

"Not on your couch," Sean grumbled, giving up on the coffee.

"I know that. Not what I meant. Where are you? More importantly, have you got a mirror with you?"

"What? Nate, you're confusing me with someone else. I don't carry a mirror."

"Too bad. Sean, honey, listen, this is vitally important. I need you to be somewhere you can see your face in a mirror. Go home, go to the nearest men's room, wherever, just get yourself somewhere you can see a mirror, and call me back. Okay?"

"Nathan, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Please, Sean?" Nathan's voice was unusually serious. "For me? Unless there's something you've got to be doing?"

"Well, I guess I could head home," Sean said, puzzled.

"Great. Call me when you're there. Oh, and since I'm home, you can call me here. And Sean? Don't think I'm above imitating Summer if you don't call me..."

Sean broke into a reluctant grin as his phone went silent, pitched the paper cup containing the remaining imitation-coffee into the trash, and started for home.

***

Just under three-quarters of an hour later, Sean pushed the door to his apartment closed and dropped the keys on top of the bookcase, shrugging his jacket off. He'd been pondering the mysteries of Nathan's request all the time he'd been walking back, and was still no nearer working out why Nate wanted him to look into a mirror. But he hadn't planned on staying out much longer, anyhow, and it certainly wasn't going to be a hardship to speak to Nathan again so soon. 

Hanging up his jacket, he went through to the main living area, groaning to see that the light was flashing on his answer machine already. How quickly did Nathan think he walked, anyway? He hit the play button and went across to the kitchen area to start the coffee maker.

BEEP. "Sean, you're never home! Call me, okay? Mom was asking about you."

BEEP. "Sean, we've got confirmation through from A&E, I've got the contracts here in front of me. Pop in sometime tomorrow morning, we'll get this signed. I've emailed you a copy, any questions, I want them in writing, remember? Tomorrow."

BEEP. "Too long, cupcake."

BEEP. Sean dived across the apartment to hit the delete button. God, Nathan had access to worse music than Summer. He hadn't thought that was possible.

Grumbling under his breath, Sean retrieved his cell phone from his jacket pocket, making a mental note to assign Nathan's number to one of the completely unused speed-dials. 

"Hey, honey, are you home?"

Sean laughed, crossing to the kitchen and real coffee. "I'm home. Nathan, really. Dolly Parton? Tell me you don't listen to that by choice."

"Nope. Got the right effect, though. Thought you were gonna call me at home?"

"Can't. I don't have your number there." He slid the jug out of the filter, pouring a large mug of blessedly fresh coffee.

"Oh. Okay. Well, we'll fix that. First things first. Mirror?"

"Why?"

"Trust me, Sean. This is important. Mirror?"

"Okay, okay. On my way." Sean gathered his coffee, cradling the cell phone against his ear, and carried it through to his bedroom, setting the mug down on the nightstand and pulling open the closet to reveal the full length mirror on the inside of the door. "Mirror. Now tell me!"

"First, you tell me. This job. You're sure about accepting it?"

Sean-in-the-mirror rolled his eyes and wished his coffee was closer. "I'm sure."

"Right. Now tell me what color your eyes are."

"What?" The eyes in question widened in shock. "Fuck, Nate, are you seriously telling me that I spent three days with you, delayed my flight back for you, fucked you several ways I haven't tried before and you don't know what color my eyes are? They're hazel!"

"Not always."

" _What_?"

"Stuck record, Seanie. They change color. Depends on your mood. Now look closer. What color are your eyes?"

"I... they what?" Sean blinked at his reflection and nearly dropped his phone.

"Kinda intriguing. You've got bits of blue, bits of green, bits of gray, bits of brown... how much of each depends on your mood and how much sleep you've had. Gonna tell me? It's not a hard question."

"I... oh. I never..." Sean stopped, and took a deep breath. "I didn't realize you were watching so closely."

"What can I say? Easy on the eyes, baby. Now, tell me. You're sure about this job? What color are your eyes?"

Sean peered into the mirror, too flustered even to protest at being called 'baby' again. "Um... gray, mostly. Some blue. No brown. Really, Nate? Brown?"

"Really, Sean. Any green?"

"Um... nope."

The earpiece gave a satisfied sigh. "Okay. You're sure. Go for it. You'll be fantastic. Even if the TV movie is terrible."

"So...I can stop looking in the mirror now?"

"Unless you want to start taking those clothes off and telling me exactly what you're doing..."

"No. I... um. No. Not now. Some other time."

"Rejected again. See, I knew you'd get bored of me."

Sean shut the closet door with a wry smile and headed back to his coffee, perching on the edge of his bed. "Not bored. Just... just a bit surprised."

"By what?"

"By you."

"How I like you, Seanie."

"Stop _calling_ me that!"

**Author's Note:**

> These characters and the situation are fictional and not intended as an account of real events.
> 
> Many thanks to lvs2read for beta reading.


End file.
